Various types of water heaters have been developed for use in hot tubs, swimming pools, and the like. Due to the caustic chemicals added to the water in hot tubs, pools, and the like, electric water heaters used in such applications may suffer from corrosion or other degradation.
Heating elements made of stainless steel, titanium, and other materials have been developed in an effort to provide increased durability. Heating elements used in water heaters may need to be formed into relatively complex shapes with relatively small bend radii, and forming titanium in this manner typically requires that the titanium be annealed prior to forming. Known techniques for annealing titanium may include heating the titanium in a vacuum environment to prevent corrosion on the surfaces of titanium. When used in applications requiring high strength and low weight (e.g. aerospace structures), such corrosion is undesirable due to the resulting weakness in the titanium material.